Blog posts tagged with 'party rental'

With any company dealing in the foodservice industry – whether it be catering, banquet halls, golf courses, restaurants trying different plating options, hotels with meeting space or party rental companies – picking the right platters for food presentation is important. You want to ensure you’re presenting aesthetically pleasing food while ensuring your inventory / material costs for the platters doesn’t affect your bottom line. Add in the breakage, potential stacking or transporting issues and it can be a bit overwhelming.

This article presents an easy to view list of the pros and cons of melamine platters vs. porcelain platters.

Melamine Platters:

• Durable
• Break resistant
• Can scratch with use of sharp objects on the surface (like knives)
• Commercial dishwasher safe
• Lightweight
• Can withstand temperatures from 32°F to 220°F (0°C to 120°C) – ruling out baking / food preparation in them
• Non-microwavable
• Potential long term health risks (jury still out)
• Easy to stack
• More expensive to purchase due to material cost

Porcelain Platters:

• Durable
• Breakage occurs more frequently due to the nature of the material
• Scratch resistant
• Commercial dishwasher safe
• Heavy in comparison to melamine
• Oven safe to 400°F
• Microwave safe (unless porcelain contains metal detailing)
• Can become cumbersome to stack
• Less expensive to purchase than Melamine
• Can look better longer

As you can see, porcelain platters and melamine platters both have their place at a buffet or party; neither one can be ruled out as “better” than the other – it generally comes down to how the purchaser plans to utilize the platter and personal preference.

A Guide for First Time Attendees

Anyone in the know in the Rental Industry – both in the United States and Canada – recognizes that The Rental Show is THE conference and trade show to attend. By now, I’m sure you've justified your trip to your boss and registered for your ticket for the 2014 Rental Show. You’ve booked your tickets to Orlando International Airport (or Google mapped directions to drive) and are starting to get pumped to rub elbows with the best and the brightest in the industry. As you get ready to pack your bags, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind as you gear up for the 2014 Rental Show:

1. Be Prepared

Conferences are first and foremost the premiere way to get a read on the industry and step outside your everyday business to learn how other rental companies across the continent operate. With more than 24 educational seminars on everything from employee retention strategies to eight must-haves for a successful rental store, you need to take advantage of all this learning! Know what sessions you want to attend and start mapping out your schedule now.

If you plan to carry your laptop/tablet/smart phone or all three during the event, make sure you keep a charger handy to make sure you don’t lose your ability to take notes!

Wear comfortable shoes. It’s a big convention center and you’ll be doing plenty of laps on both the trade show floor and walking to sessions. Do yourself a favour and plan to wear shoes that make you feel like you’re walking on air.

Carry business cards. Exhibitors will no doubt have badge scanning systems, but what about other individuals in special events, general tool, equipment rental or construction that you meet? Bringing business cards gives you the ability to network with other entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals and bounce potential ideas off them.

2. Network, Network, Network

Proactively engage with different people. The contacts you make at the Rental Show will provide you with valuable information on different ways to run your business. There are speakers, exhibitors and attendees who have been in the industry for decades and have a wealth of knowledge to share with you if you’re willing to strike up a conversation. If you’re an introvert (which let’s face it at least half of us are) try to challenge yourself to break away from your co-workers, or friends while you’re at sessions, during breaks, meals and networking events. One of the events that looks promising for attendees between the ages of 18 to 40, is the Young Professionals Networking Event happening on Sunday February 9 at 5:30pm. To refresh your networking tips and tricks, check out this article to rejuvenate your skills.

3. Have Fun (but not too much)

It has to be brought up – the elephant in the room. The Rental Show puts on a ton of awesome networking events that brings together the entire industry to mix and mingle in the very best of Orlando scenery. But there’s always that group of people that take the fun too far. Just remember you’re on a business trip and this really is THE place for rental industry education. It’d be a shame to miss it because of one too many drinks the night before. To take advantage of all the fantastic networking events, be sure to view the full line up here and make sure to sign up for the Regional Networking event for Region 10 (Canada) taking place Monday February 10th from 5PM – 6:30PM.

4. Take Advantage of the Show Specials (if you can):

The Rental Show has a helpful app available on iTunes and Google Apps store that is perfect for you to keep track of the exhibitor booth’s you plan to swing by. Not only that but on their website, the American Rental Association lists all the exhibitors who will be offering show specials (special discounts and offers for those who attend the show and stop by their booth). If you have the time, it makes sense to scope those out to see what discounts you can take advantage of. National Event Supply will be holding a draw for a chance to win 10 FREE 6ft folding tables (your choice of wood or plastic) and offering show special pricing on our White Resin Folding Chairs, plastic folding tables, wood folding tables, new line of Linens and all our tabletop collection including dinnerware, platters & bowls, glassware and cutlery.

5. Follow up

This might be the most important tip. You’ve made some key connections, learned a ton of new knowledge and tactics and are ready to execute your ideas back into your business. Leverage the relationships you’ve made with your peers and rental industry experts to ensure you keep the connection and dialogue going.

One of the first questions a party rental, event rental, hotel, banquet hall or caterer asks themselves when they begin the process of buying chiavari chairs wholesale is: How much does a chiavari chair cost, and what are the expected prices for different kinds of chiavari chairs? Unfortunately many Canadian companies run into road blocks when they research online as to how much chiavari chairs are really going to cost with few in the industry posting prices online. This article will attempt to answer this important question – just keep in mind that chiavari chair prices vary drastically between the United States and Canada – buying from US companies may look like a better deal but with the exchange rates, duties and shipping – your end cost generally is higher than if you’d bought from a Canadian company. As the different types of chiavari chairs have different price points, this article takes a look at what a Canadian company buying from a Canadian event equipment sales supplier can expect in terms of pricing.

Wood Chiavari Chairs:

Wood chiavari chairs are the least expensive chiavari chair option. This is mainly due to the fact that the cost of materials for a wood chiavari chair is cheaper. There are numerous pricing components when purchasing wood chiavari chairs that influence the cost – the type of wood being used, if cushion is included, the volume you want to buy at, whether the chair is sold on volume discount levels or at a set price, and whether the chair is shipped assembled or knocked down. The average wood chiavari chair will cost between $39.00 to $65.00 CDN, depending on the quality of the chair and whether it is assembled or knocked down. Typically with all types of chiavari chairs, the larger volume of chair you buy, the lower the cost of each chair. That being said, the quality of wood, and if the chair is preassembled, drives the price higher but the chair will also last longer.

Resin Chiavari Chairs:

Resin Chiavari chairs cost more than wood Chiavari chairs because resin is a higher cost material than wood. Resin Chiavari chairs can also have steel support frames built into the chair that provides a stronger, more durable product for higher turnover businesses. The average resin Chiavari chair ranges in price from $40.00 – $70.00 CDN depending on whether it has a steel support frame, cushion included, volume discounts, and whether it’s shipped knocked down format or preassembled.

Crystal Chiavari Chairs:

In most cases, but not always, crystal Chiavari chairs will have the highest initial cost, and will again vary greatly depending on if the cushion is included, the volume you want to buy, whether the chair is shipped assembled or knocked down, and the cost to ship. The reason why crystal Chiavari chairs tend to cost more is due to the higher cost of polycarbonate material used to create the clear look. In the majority of cases, crystal Chiavari chairs will cost between $50.00 - $70.00 CDN.

Shipping costs on Wood, Resin & Crystal Chiavari Chairs:

The shipping costs of chiavari chairs usually run $2.00 – 29.00 per chair depending on the size of the order (shipping costs tend to decrease based on volume) and where it is shipping from. Keep in mind that due to the bulkier nature of preassembled chairs, the shipping costs can be higher upfront (depending on your volume) however preassembled chairs are easier to maintain and tend to hold up better in high turnover businesses. The shipping costs do not vary based on the type of chair purchased but solely on volume, weight and shipping location. Nationally based suppliers to the hospitality industry will have multiple warehouses across the country to provide better shipping rates coast to coast.

The National Event Supply team have their bags packed and are heading to Vancouver for the Canadian Rental Association’s BC Regional Trade show. Be sure to stop by our booth #42/43 to say “hi” and check out our new line of linens along with the other event rental inventory items we offer.

With warehouses in Vancouver, British Columbia & Mississauga, Ontario, we can quickly and cost-effectively ship our hundreds of products across Canada. Because of this, we’re able to showcase the following items at the show:

• Porcelain Platters
• Porcelain Bowls
• Porcelain Dinnerware
• Stainless Steel Flatware
• Crystal Stemware
• Plastic Folding Tables
• Wood Folding Tables
• White Resin Folding Chairs (aka White Wedding Chairs)
• And much, much more!
 

We're offering an exclusive show special only available to attendees that stop by our booth.

If you're interested in learning more about our tabletop products, download our Tabletop catalogue for details such as sizing, weight and pricing.

We look forward to seeing you January 10th / 11th at the show!

Well we’re at the end of 2013 and what better way to reflect than with a roundup of the top 10 posts from the National Event Supply Blog. Since January, we’ve produced almost 140 posts chock full of new products, education, industry news, insider knowledge, plus a chuckle or two. To ensure you haven’t missed anything, check out the most popular blog posts (most viewed by all of you) of 2013:

10) 3 Reasons to Invest in Square Dinnerware

Porcelain Dinnerware can be a tough nut to crack. Sure, you have great round plates that rent reasonably well, but so do a lot of your competitors. What you need is something that will catch your customer's eye, something that not all of your competitors have, and something that can make a statement on a tabletop. What you need is Square Dinnerware! With that said, here are three reasons why you should consider investing in square dinnerware.

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9) 6 New Pieces of Porcelain

Spring shipments continue to arrive at National Event Supply. Recently we took delivery of a container of porcelain from our factory. In addition to the Quadrato Dessert Plates, the 10 inch and 12 inch Risotto Bowls, and several sizes of rectangular platters, we took delivery of 6 new pieces of porcelain that we’ve been eagerly awaiting since January of this year. Check out the 6 new pieces of porcelain added to the inventory roster.

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8) Now Arriving: Resin Chiavari Chairs at our Toronto Warehouse

We know we’ve been talking about summer for a while here at National Event Supply, but can you blame us? Summer is filled with sunshine, nights spent sipping drinks on the patio enjoying a cool summer’s breeze, and spending weekends at a friend’s cabin on a lake. Summer is all about the outdoor event, and although the spring buying season is winding down, we’re still receiving new products and new stock at our Vancouver and Toronto warehouses. We just received new stock of the Resin Chiavari chairs.

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7) Top 5 Restaurant Dinnerware Manufacturers

If you have ever considered purchasing porcelain for your restaurant, banquet hall, party rental, convention centre, golf course, or maybe even your house, you have probably considered purchasing from at least one of these five companies. They all offer an incredible selection of durable, commercial-quality, porcelain products and they likely have a local distributor in your area. See why these are North American leaders in Restaurant Dinnerware Supply.

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6) New Products: Small Amuse Bouche Spoon & Fork

New Product Spring 2013 continues here at National Event Supply. So far this spring, we’ve introduced our New Folding Pedestal Table, our new wood Serpentine Tables, our new Wood 60inch Half-Moon tables, our new Wood Harvest Tables, and our new Polar White Dinnerware. The products just keep coming as containers arrive at our facilities in Vancouver and Toronto. And we’re still not done. We have new colours of Plastic Folding Chairs coming including Wedding White on White, Royal Blue on Grey and Black on Grey. Finally, we have some new Natural Wood Folding Chairs on order. Recently we took delivery of some cutlery that we had eagerly been awaiting.

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5) New Chair – Natural Wood Folding Chair

For some time now, we have been looking for a natural wood coloured resin folding chair. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to create a beautiful looking natural wood colour chair in resin. The colours just don’t look right, and it can end up looking tacky and not up to our demanding standards. But our customers were demanding a Natural Wood Coloured Folding Chair, and so we decided that the only thing to do was to go and find a Natural Wood Folding Chair. It took a little time to find one we liked, but early last winter we found one. Today, I’m happy to formally announce our New NES Natural Wood Folding Chair.

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4) National Event Supply in Vancouver

As one of Canada’s leading Party Rental suppliers, we try to make sure that we have sales representation from coast to coast across Canada. To help us with sales representation we signed a strategic sales agreement with AE Sales Group 2 years ago which gives us sales coverage in western Canada (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwest Ontario) and with their partner Certified Sales we also get coverage for the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and PEI. Every few months I get the chance to travel with one of the AE Sales team members to do some joint customer calls in various locations across Canada. This past week I was once again in Vancouver, this time so that we could exhibit at the BC Foodservice Expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Since I was already in town I thought this was also a great opportunity to meet a few of our customers.

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3) The BC PST, New Plastic Folding Chairs and White Resin Folding Chairs

It's hard to believe, but 2013 is now 1/3 over. All across Canada, snow is melting, grass is growing, trees are budding, and everyone is getting ready for the busy summer season. We're in the middle of our busy spring season. New products and stock are arriving every week and orders are going out our doors just as fast. Although we try to keep things in stock, sometimes we run out of chairs in a certain colour, or we run low on tables. It's always better to get your orders in early to avoid disappointing your customers. We detail the new products in the Toronto and Vancouver warehouses and the return of the BC PST.

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2) NES Introduces New Plywood Folding Tables

Over the past few years we have seen increasing success with our NES Wood Folding Tables. As it is with most things, sales started slowly as people initially discovered that we had started stocking plywood folding tables. Sales continued increasing as people took a closer look at our product and discovered that we were selling a quality plywood table. As sales increased, we started getting requests from customers looking for plywood tables in other sizes. Up until recently, we were stocking 3/4″ inch plywood folding tables in the following sizes in our Toronto, Vancouver, and Indianapolis warehouses: 4-ft Rectangular Banquet Tables (30 inches wide), 6-ft Rectangular Banquet Tables (30 inches wide), 8-ft Rectangular Banquet Tables (30 inches wide), 48 inch Round Tables, 60 inch Round Tables, and 72 inch Round Tables. Now, just in time for the busy spring season, we are pleased to announce that we have added a wide range of new wood tables to our inventory. Effective immediately, we are proud to offer the following plywood tables to our customers.

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1) New Products in Vancouver – Cruiser Tables in Toronto

Spring continues to roll on here at National Event Supply. We received containers at both our Vancouver and Toronto warehouses and in each case they brought us products that we didn’t have in stock. At our Toronto Warehouse, we received a shipment of wood cruiser tables, and at our Vancouver location we received three new wood tables: NES Wood Serpentine Folding Tables, 5-ft NES Wood Half-Moon Folding Tables, and 8-ft NES Wood Folding Harvest Tables.

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